Mother seeks PM's nod to let suffering daughter die

She has survived an amputation and numerous operations, though barely. But two years on, it's the trauma of government apathy that has left 12-year-old Sairabano, of Dankaur in Greater Noida, and her family, scarred the most.Purusharth Aradhak | TNN | Updated: December 01, 2015, 09:02 IST

either they project Modi as the face of the general election campaign or they adopt a lofty stand that the party is more important than any individual.Greater Noida: She has survived an amputation and numerous operations, though barely. But two years on, it's the trauma of government apathy that has left 12-year-old Sairabano, of Dankaur in Greater Noida, and her family, scarred the most.

TOI had reported the story of the girl on January 17 this year. Trapped under a 11,000-volt high tension wire on January 20, 2013, while studying on the roof of a mosque in Dankaur, Sairabano lost her vision and was left with a gaping hole in her face and burn wounds all over her body. On Monday, mother Nafeesa told TOI that fed up with government apathy, they had decided to demand the state's permission for her daughter to end her life, as they could not bear the expenses of her treatment any further. "We made all attempts to save her. We can't see her die slowly. I now feel my daughter should have died in the incident, as she wouldn't have to undergo such mental and physical trauma then," she said.

Her family has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to intervene on behalf of their daughter, or allow her to commit suicide. Over the past two years, the family has mortgaged their home to borrow Rs 4.5 lakh for Sairabano's treatment. Doctors at a private Delhi hospital are now apparently demanding Rs 5 lakh for further surgery. But with neither police nor administration taking up the case since the accident, the family was forced to eventually approach the city court, which directed police to lodge an FIR in the case. Even that happened after TOI carried a story.

"I wanted to continue studies and serve the country as an IAS. But my physical condition won't allow me to achieve the goal," Sairbano said.

On the fateful morning of January 20, 2013, Sairabano was studying on the terrace of a mosque at Usmanpur village in Dankaur. As she got up to relieve herself, a high tension wire fell on her. The hot wire cut through her flesh even as it trapped her under its weight. "I got trapped under the wire and fainted," she said, recollecting the incident with horror. Half an hour later, she woke up writhing in pain from the burns and unable to see.

Over two years later, Sairabano has no vision in either eye and the wounds still hurt. "I pray that nobody has to go through the trauma we faced. As her mother, I felt helpless. Her screams still haunt me," said Nafeesa, a housewife. Sharafat, Sairabano's father, is a labourer who barely manages to make ends meet with an income of Rs 3,500 a month. The couple have two other children, Naushekh (14) and Rajbano (4).

But the family's ordeal was not over. To file the police complaint, they had to jump through hoops. When they approached Dankaur police station a few days after the accident, the policemen refused to register the complaint. Eventually, they approached the district court and managed to find a lawyer who was ready to help them file a case seeking for relief for Sairabano, and action against officials responsible for the accident.

After being turned away for six months, they had given up all hope of assistance. Then on September 30, 2013, the district court passed an order asking the police to lodge an FIR against the power department lineman and other officials, under appropriate sections, and probe the case. "The district court order gave us a ray of hope. We took the court order to Dankaur PS, but the station in-charge demanded Rs 10,000 as bribe to lodge an FIR. I approached senior police and administration officials, but in vain. Police lodged an FIR only after TOI did a story, but the accused are still at large," said Nafeesa.

With no government aid available, the family took loans and visited hospitals across Delhi-NCR for Sairabano's recovery. "When we did not get any government aid, despite our BPL status, we decided to provide Sairabano the best treatment possible ourselves. We borrowed money. We managed to save her life, but for what?"